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E.Joseph McCarthy Scholarships for Overseas Study

Pont des Amours,Annecy

Mission Statement

E. Joseph McCarthy (1901-1993) was an entrepreneur who began his life in the stockroom of A. G. Walton Co., a shoe factory in Massachusetts. He never had the opportunity to attend college but was a great benefactor of higher education. In 1996, Mr. McCarthy bequeathed over $900,000 to the Georgetown University Department of French and Francophone Studies at the request of his niece, Maureen Gavel, an alumna of the Department of French and Francophone Studies and long-time employee. In his memory, the E. Joseph McCarthy Endowment Fund benefits students and faculty through scholarships and enhanced academic programs in the Department of French and Francophone Studies.

The Board

A board was appointed to designate, distribute and monitor the funds (endowment and current use), to select projects and proposals, and to review the progress thereof.

The founder of the E. Joseph McCarthy Endowment Fund, Maureen Gavel, appointed the first board with Professor Jean-Max Guieu as its chairperson. Professor Guieu served tirelessly in that capacity for over thirteen years.

In September 2009, Professor Deborah Lesko Baker was appointed the succeeding chairperson for the Endowment Fund, and in September 2015 Professor Amadou Koné was named interim Endowment Fund chair to serve during the Department Chairship of Professor Lesko Baker. Each year, a committee of three professors from the department, elected by their peers, serves under the direction of the Endowment Fund Chair to distribute, designate, and monitor McCarthy funds.

Maureen Gavel reserves the right to name any subsequent chairperson of the Board. Although the chairperson of the Department of French and Francophone Studies is an ex officio member of all departmental committees, he or she does not vote on committee decisions made by the McCarthy committee.

Goals

The objectives of the McCarthy Endowment Fund are:

To help deserving students learn French through scholarships for Georgetown overseas programs.

To provide financial support for intellectual and cultural enrichment activities initiated by department faculty.

To provide funds to maintain and update the equipment and furnishings of the McCarthy Conference Room (the “Espace McCarthy”), which was built thanks to the Endowment and inaugurated in September 2001.

The E. Joseph McCarthy Overseas Study Scholarships for French Majors

These scholarships consist of up to 4 grants for a fall or spring semester or a full year abroad. Students may receive up to $ 2,500 per semester.

These competitive scholarships are offered to French majors who are planning to study in a Francophone country for one or two semesters and who can demonstrate financial need.

Applicants must submit the following documents:

A scholarship application (please see the attached Spring program form or the attached Fall or Academic Year program form).

A one-page personal statement (submitted in both French and English on separate sheets) describing the student’s commitment and serious motivation in respect to French studies.

Two letters of recommendation from the student’s Department of French and Francophone Studies professors, submitted to the committee in care of the department Administrative Officer.

The student’s official academic transcript.

A copy of the student's official Georgetown Financial Aid Award, which can be printed out from MyAccess to attach to the application.

Deadline for applications for the following Spring semester is October 30th. Deadline for applications for the following Fall or Academic Year is March 1st.

The E. Joseph McCarthy Summer Program in Tours ScholarshipS

Open to all undergraduate students enrolled in Georgetown French courses.

These scholarships consist of up to 4 grants. Students may receive up to $2,500 each. These competitive scholarships are offered to undergraduate students who are planning to study in the Georgetown University Summer Program in Tours and who can demonstrate financial need. The applications for the Summer grants should be received by the 1st of March.

A one-page personal statement (submitted in both French and English on separate sheets) describing the applicant’s commitment and serious motivation in respect to French studies.

A letter of recommendation from at least one of the student’s French professors, submitted to the Committee in care of the department Administrative Officer.

The student’s official academic transcript.

A copy of the student's official Georgetown Financial Aid Award, which can be printed out from MyAccess to attach to the application.

Deadline for applications for the Summer Program in Tours Scholarships is March 1st.

The E. Joseph McCarthy Summer Program in Paris Scholarships

Open to all undergraduate students enrolled in Georgetown French courses.

These scholarships consist of up to 2 grants. Students may receive up to $2,500 each. This competitive scholarship is offered to an undergraduate student who is planning to study in the Georgetown University Summer Program in Paris and who can demonstrate financial need.